The Same Smile
by jessica.brooke
Summary: What happens when a villain is introduced to Starfire who had no knowledge at all? Who, unfourtunatley knows everything about the villain? What if this villain has done no harm to her except for her nightmares? Written for my three year anniversary on FF!


Robin threw the stack of files on the table angrily, the loud thud of the files increasing his bad mood

**Hey everyone! Well, this was SUPPOSED to be posted yesterday, commemorating my three year anniversary on FanFiction, but I was unfortunately unable to post it so it is posted today! I hope everyone enjoys this and please review! **

**Disclaimer: I am so sorry, but Teen Titans is owned by someone else. Not Me.**

**Dedications: Ma soeur, Sizzlin'-Starry-Night-sky: She helped me through this and is currently my best friend on FanFiction. J'adore tu ma soeur! And ThSamurai: He helped me A LOT for this story, telling me everything I needed to know about this story (Sorry if it sucks by the way) and he is also a very good friend on FanFiction.**

**XOXO to Both of you!**

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Robin threw the stack of files on the table angrily, the loud thud of the files increasing his bad mood. How could he have fallen so behind on paperwork? It wasn't like he did anything else OTHER than paperwork. Maybe it was the numerous robberies, two attacks from Cinderblock and another "magical" visit from Mumbo Jumbo. Those were some reasons.

He sighed once more and slumped into his desk chair and began to sort through them, putting loose papers back into files. He hated this more than anything, whenever he went to do paperwork, it would be the same procedure; put all the loose documents back in the appropriate folder, staple or paperclip important and/or recent crimes and place them in front of everything else, rearrange all the other papers in chronological order, and then alphabetize them. Paperwork sucks.

He would much rather eat Starfire's cooking than sort through this mountainous pile of papers. And what's worse, if he neglects the job again, he would have an even LARGER pile of papers, increasing slowly as if they were taunting Robin more and more.

But, a leader has to do what a leader has to do…unfortunately.

Just as he began to start another file, he heard the infamous and melodious tone of Starfire's cheery voice floating in his room.

"Robin?" He groaned unwillingly and placed his head in his hands. Like he would be able to concentrate on boring papers when **she** was in the room.

"Yes, Starfire?" he answered back, an involuntary edge to his voice.

She cringed at his harsh tone, her stomach rolling in her body immediately afraid that she did something wrong. "Forgive me," she said timidly, "am I interrupting?"

Robin sighed and turned to face her. "I'm just doing necessary paperwork that I can't seem to finish," he stated, shrugging slightly.

Starfire hesitantly walked into his room, "Perhaps you require my assistance?" she asked sweetly, clutching her arm.

Robin couldn't help but smile at her. "Thanks, but I'm really the only one who knows how to do it."

"Then you shall teach me!" She suggested, a wide grin on her face, "You are a wonderful teacher so I will be able to learn very quickly." He lightly blushed at her statement and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Um…Okay…," he began. She flopped onto Robin's bed on her stomach, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"Do you know how to alphabetize?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I believe so, yes," she smiled a light trace of victory in her voice

"Do you think you could alphabetize these?" he sat on the bed with her and situated himself so that he was next to her.

"Of course!" She flashed him a reassuring smile as she sat up on Robin's bed and took the files from his hands. "These folders weigh a lot for only being filled with such light papers."

Robin released a bitter laugh as he took some folders of his own and began to replace papers in the folders, "Trust me, I know."

"Tell me Robin, how often must you organize these folders?" She questioned, already having some piles of layered folders.

Robin smiled guiltily, "You should do it as much as you can…but sometimes I forget or sometimes I just don't feel like doing work."

She giggled and shook her head. "That does not sound like the Robin I know," she said, her voice filled with mock humor.

Robin shrugged, "I'd rather be watching Beast Boy and Cyborg fight over meat and tofu than have to do all this work."

She smiled again and laughed, "So this paperwork is not fun to complete?"

"Not in the slightest," he said, "but it's not so bad when you have company." A blush crept up his neck and burned his cheeks.

"Then we should organize paperwork together more often," she implied, a light blush dusted her cheeks too.

Robin nodded dumbly, more to himself instead of Starfire, but Starfire registered the nod as an okay before commencing her work again.

There was a silence between them for a while, their minds focused on the task at hand and unaware of their surroundings. On occasion, they would glance at one another and smile before sorting through their work again. He observed her work; she was doing a great job. He piles were neat and collected; the tabs of the folders were showing at an angle, allowing Robin to be able to scan though the files quickly and easily.

Sometimes she would open the file; curious of a villain that she have never heard of. When she was satisfied, she correctly placed the paperwork back into the folder set it into the right letter pile.

Suddenly, a light gasp filled with fear and awe echoed against the walls of Robin's room. Robin's ears perked up and looked worriedly at her shocked face. He felt her shiver next to him, causing him to shiver lightly as well. "You okay?" he asked warily, clearly unsure what could make her gasp so shrilly.

Her emerald eyes were wide with disturbance and disbelief; he mouth was slightly open, shallow breaths passing through. She shakily took the picture out of the file and showed the picture to Robin.

Robin's eyes widened as well; he hasn't seen _that _face in a long time.

"…Who…is this villain?" She asked uneasily. His eyes narrowed as he continued to stare at the frightening smile.

"He's the Joker," he exhaled sharply.

"The…Joker?" she questioned, glancing at the picture again, "Please, does this Joker wear the make-up on his face because he wishes to resemble your earthly clowns who are perceived to be as relevant to a Joker?"

"Yeah," Robin explained, "The Joker is a psychopath. He will do everything in his power to cause chaos. He's a genius at improvisation. One thing could go according to plan and if his plan is backfired, he immediately changes his scheme."

"So…he caused chaos…and no matter if you stop one bad crime…he came up with another plan?" She asked.

Robin nodded curtly, "He does these things beca-,"

"Does?" Starfire hesitantly cut in, "you mean…he has not yet been captured?"

A grim expression crossed Robin's face, "No," he answered darkly, "he's still missing."

Her breath hitched in her throat. This disastrous villain of whom Robin spoke was not yet caught?

"But...," she pressed nervously, "…you have caught him once, yes?

Robin frowned. "It was according to his plan."

"He plans to be captivated?"

"Everything is a big joke to him," Robin started to say, Starfire's eyes widening in fear, "you never know what his next idea is. He lacks a conscience, so no matter what he does, he remains unaffected. He does these things just because he wants to see if he can get away with it."

Starfire stared at him, her face mixed with various emotions; fear, awe, horror, fascination, and slight interest. Because of the villain's unpredictability, there really was no possibility in truly catching him. She stared at the picture in Robin's as confusion swept through her. Something about that painted smile…she squinted her eyes in concentration and gasped again.

"Why is his smile cut into his skin!?" she gestured toward the upward curve of the smile in the picture.

"No one knows…" he answered, cringing a bit, "…He changes the story every time."

Her brow furrowed in confusion, "Every time what?"

"Every time he captures someone."

"He captivates victims?!" she exclaimed a little too loudly, "Why does he capture them and what does he do that allows him to talk about his brutal scars?"

"He wants his victims to become a part of his sick joke. He places a knife in the victims' mouth and he begins to tell a story about how he got his scars. And then…he cuts a smile into the persons face, only because he was successful in making the victim succumb to his joke and let him do what he wanted. When I was captured-,"

Robin couldn't finish for Starfire had gasped so loudly he was sure she'd sucked all the breath out of her.

"This treacherous villain has captured you?!"

Robin nodded drearily as he softly placed his hand on his cheek. "A few years ago, when I was in Gotham, I went patrolling on the streets. It was midnight and I'd caught some jewel thieves at the corner jewelry store. They were henchmen of the joker, wearing a signature clown mask, and I was easily defeated. They came at me from all angles and before I knew it, seven "clowns" were hovering me and I couldn't fight them, my knee and shoulder blade felt displaced and it hurt to move.

And then I heard an eerie laughter filling my ears as I turned around and saw the Joker standing there with his ridiculous clothes, that creepy smile stretched on his face and a knife in hand. He was smiling as he took a few steps toward me, the knife swinging in his hand as he walked.

"_Well, well, well. Little Bird Boy isn't with the Batman. Though as much as I would have preferred Batman, but this will be quick," he laughed haughtily and held up his knife. He then knelt down to Robin and grabbed his head forcefully, his fingers grasping Robin's ebony locks. _

"_You wanna know how I got these scars?" his lips curled over his teeth, his menacing grin becoming more and more frightening. He gestured the knife toward his scars, and when Robin didn't' reply, he jerked Robin's head forward, causing him to open part his lips and allow the Joker to slip the blade into his mouth. _

"_I hated my parents. I really did. They never understood… who I was…and they would expect me to be their little 'angel.' And then one day, a terrible storm hit Gotham. My parents…were driving…and then they slid into a tree, causing it to break and fall onto the car, killing them instantly." He said giddily as he pressed the tip of the blade with a little more force at the corner of Robin's mouth, "and when I heard the 'terrible' news…I was so…happy. And to prove I was truly happy, I did this-," he motioned to his smile, "-and showed everyone how happy I __**really **__was."_

"_So…," The Joker's grip tightened in Robin's hair, "…why don't we show __**your**__ parents how happy __you __really are." _

"And just as he was about to slice my skin, I found four nitrogen disks in my utility belt and I threw them aimlessly; and with luck, one hit the Joker perfectly in the face, knocking him off balance and making him let go of my head and the knife and I was able to run away." Robin finished, a sigh escaping his mouth.

Starfire quickly and almost instinctively wrapped her arms around him; a startled expression graced her face…and Robins.

"I did not know that he has attacked you!" She exclaimed near tears, "You could have died so easily!"

He hesitated for a moment before he encircled his arms around her waist, "But I protected myself," he interjected, "and I'm still here. Besides, the Joker hasn't been seen for years."

Starfire uneasily tore her arms away from him. "You mean…he will not attack again?"

"I don't know…but we don't need to worry about him. He hasn't set a foot in Jump City."

Starfire nodded feebly and looked at the comically sick picture and placed it back into his folder. "I did not know that the villains you've once encountered were so difficult to fight.

"I had a little help back then…" he muttered and turned to his work. He didn't finish much, but at least they've decreased the pile a small amount.

"You are very brave," she whispered suddenly, "I do not know how I would react if I was to face the Joker."

Robin's face turned red as she complemented him. He then turned to her so he was facing her and secured her shoulders in his hands, looking at her earnestly. "The Joker won't touch you," he vowed, "I promise, I won't ever let him hurt you. I won't let **anyone **hurt you."

She flashed him a warm, grateful smile, "I appreciate your kindness." Robin couldn't help but smile back at her. His eyes broke away unwillingly from hers and looked at his alarm clock reading 12:46 AM.

"It's late," he said quietly as he let go of her shoulders and got off the bed, "I'll clean up. You can go to sleep."

"Do you wish for assistance to help you clean up?" She asked sadly; she didn't want him to release her. Robin shook his head and lightly smiled, "Nah, you've helped a lot. You deserve to sleep."

"Are you certain?"

Robin nodded once more and gestured toward the last folder in his hand. "Yep. Thank you for everything."

"You are most welcome!" she exclaimed happily and walked to the door, "Pleasant Shlorvacks, Robin."

"Uh…you too."

She giggled lightly and walked out of his room quietly, carefully making as little noise as possible.

He chuckled as he watched her leave and then he glanced upon the table with the files he neglected; his expression shifted instantly to chagrin.

The villains he'd defeated in the past should have remained in the past. And now Starfire knew about one of the craziest villains he's ever fought…and that he had help. He didn't mind telling Starfire about the Joker, but telling her about some of his past made him feel out of place and uncomfortable, like he wanted to tell her all along and since he had, the feeling was different to him. It felt good.

He groaned inwardly as he turned off his bedroom light in his room and climbed into bed, blushing lightly knowing Starfire was once there.

--

_She was running through the dark alleyways, lightning crashed in the blackened skies as rain pelted on her body, causing the adrenaline in her body to double in pace. She was so afraid that she couldn't fly, her feet getting drenched from the deep puddles she'd run through. Her hair was drenched, getting into her eyes and sticking to her wet face as she ran. _

_She didn't know where she was going or where her destination ended. All she knew is that she had to get away from him. Fast. Robin said it was dangerous to be near him. But where was he? He said that he wouldn't let him touch her. He promised._

_She made a sharp left of the alleyway, turning into the next alley and then she skidded to a halt. There he was._

_His make-up slid down his face and marbled colors at he bottom oh his face, his olive green hair was mattered and wet, covering his blackened eyes. All that showed was the creepy and eerie smile._

"_Hello, gorgeous," the Joker said, moving his hair out of his face. He took a step closer to her and she backed away into a brick wall that seemed to come out of no where. "Why aren't you smiling? You always seem to smile in the pictures."_

_She was about to open her mouth until the Joker cut in._

"_You wanna know how I got these scars?"_

_Starfire's eyes widened and she stopped moving and breathing all at once. She began to shake her head and the Joker just walked up to her and took her face in his gloved hands. He then pulled out a knife and she began to whimper uncontrollably. _

"_Shh," he murmured as he placed the blade near her lips, causing Starfire to stop whimpering all together._

"_My mommy…was…not a nice woman. At all. She would make sure that I did everything according to her plan. I was always so…miserable…around her…and since daddy was dead…I was always around her. And then one day, my mother said, "Why don't you smile more?" So… one day when my mommy wasn't around…I took the kitchen knife…and I did this," He motioned to his scars with the knife, "And now…I was always smiling for my mommy."_

"_So…little Starfire is always smiling," he grazed the knife lightly on her skin to her mouth, leaving no scars, "Why don't we keep it that way."_

_And then the sharp blade pierced the corner of her mouth, deeply carving the smile into her skin and her earsplitting scream of pain echoing against the alleyways caverns._

"Robin! Help!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face as she was dreaming, "ROBIN!"

Robin heard her screams and immediately shot up in his bed and bolted out the door. When he walked in, he saw Starfire thrashing in her bed, tossing and turning and not using her arms, as if something was binding her down. Her eyes were clamped shut; she was still sleeping.

He ran to her bed and gently took her shoulders and shook her. "Starfire! Wake up!" Robin said loudly, hoping she would wake up. She didn't stop crying…and she didn't wake up. She suddenly regained usage for her arms and held her face gently, crying in pain.

"Starfire!"

Starfire's eyes snapped open and she started to cry again. She couldn't create coherent sentences, as she continued to hold her face in her hands, wetting them instantly.

"Starfire! What happened?" Robin asked, talking over her cries.

"T-t-the Jo-oker," she whimpered, "h-he cut m-my face…a-and it hu-hurts!"

Robin's eyes widened, "Starfire, no," he said quietly, "it was only a nightmare. He didn't lay a hand on you."

"B-but Robin…," she sobbed painfully, "my face i-is burning…and it feels l-like it's bleeding!"

"No Starfire. Nothing's there." He said reassuringly, holding her shoulders.

"But I am certain he has cut me!" She cried.

Robin took a deep breath and moved closer to Starfire. "Smile," he instructed gently.

"Huh?" She whispered.

"Smile for me," he murmured. She looked at him once more, seeing if there was a hint of a joke in his tone. There wasn't a trace of a joke at all. Tentatively, she did as she was told, curling her lips upward into a hesitant smile.

Robin lightly touched her cheek softly, seeing her cringe as his hand touched her skin, and he trailed his fingers to her lips, lightly tracing them with his fingertips. He felt her lightly exhale shakily, her whole body relaxing as he cradled her face.

"It's the same beautiful smile to me," Robin murmured, an involuntary sensual edge to his murmur.

She let a breathy chuckle escape her as she looked at him through tear stained eyes, "Okay," she said quietly, her smile remaining on her face.

"Okay?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded and then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. She could lightly smell his husky scent emanating on his body, only making her tighten her grip as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her delicate waist, pulling her closer to him.

"Thank you," she said into his shoulder, her warm breath sending fire coursing through his veins. He rubbed the small of her back in soothing circles as he raised an eyebrow, "For what?"

"For making sure I was safe."

"I promised you," he whispered, "I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."

She smiled gratefully and lightly pushed him toward her bed, him still in her arms. She smiled as she looked up to him, "Thank you," she whispered to him and lightly kissed is cheek before they fell asleep together, having no thoughts of the Joker.

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**grumble This probably could have been better, but I liked it. I thought about it after I saw The Dark Knight, and I've been trying to write this for a while.**

**Read and Review please!!**

**XOXO**


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